In Retrospect
by Carnivorous Mushroom
Summary: Sesshoumaru decided that he liked seeing her. She reminded him of his glory days – the days of conquest, of honor, of respect, of power... And maybe, just maybe, he let himself admit, just a tiny bit, that maybe he liked her for her too. SessKik, Modern AU
1. Red Umbrella

**C. Mushroom Says: **Hello all! I know it's been a long while since I've posted anything, but here's another addition to the SessKik fandom (is it still alive?).

So this here story is pretty short, by my standards anyway. It's only going to run for a few chapters (maybe 3?). It's already completely finished, I just need to sort out this massive word document into chapters and edit the crap out of it. So yeah, no need to worry about long waits for updates. I've learned my lesson – I will finish fanfics before I post them.

Now, without any further ado, please enjoy!

**XX**

**Part I**

**XX**

Sesshoumaru had been alive for a long time - the months had turned into years had turned into decades had turned into centuries. Still he lived, still he wandered the earth long after all of those he had once fought alongside with had died. All the humans – Rin and Kohaku and Inuyasha's companions – had all died after a short human life, which he had expected (although the death of Rin had impacted him even so). He had outlived his retainer, Jaken, and even his much younger half-brother, Inuyasha, whom Sesshoumaru attributed a shortened lifespan to his half-human heritage.

The year was twenty-thirteen and Sesshoumaru lived. He was one of the few remaining daiyoukai of his times, or maybe the last – he didn't know, he didn't keep in touch. His hair was cut short, the once resplendent silver hue now a shine-less black thanks to decades of dying it. The markings on his face that once demonstrated his proud heritage – the crescent moon and the magenta stripes – were gone, forced out of existence by a demon witch, all for the sake of appearing "human". He despised the practice, really, humanizing himself so that he wouldn't stand out, to hide his true identity. But the era of demons had gone. It had been replaced by human governments and advanced technology – the human population had increased exponentially while the demon population had dwindled. Human takeover had been inevitable. Sesshoumaru was no fool, he knew he had only three options: assimilate or live out in the wild or die. He had for a time considered living out in the wilderness, away from the ruckus of a teeming human empire, but he had quickly disregarded the idea, for Sesshoumaru liked power too much. In the wilderness, he would only be king of himself, but in the human world, he could still hold a fair share of power, could still control people at his will; yes, he had still had his wealth, and to humans, wealth was power, and to Sesshoumaru, power was everything.

Often times, the demon lord entertained the notion that he could still obliterate an entire human army, but even he, the great Sesshoumaru, doubted its veracity. (Even a demon would be helpless against a nuclear weapon, he knew, but he refused to accept).

Too lost in thoughts of an eventful past, Sesshoumaru set his book down – a popular Swedish novel his secretary had once swore was the best book she'd ever read. The foreign words blurred every time he attempted to read it. He didn't know whether it was his dusty understanding of Swedish to blame for his disinterest in the novel or his more worrisome inability to focus on anything but recalling his past. He feared becoming the typical senile old man – stuck in a world that had long since passed.

It was the voice of the café barista that brought him out from his intense cogitation. The young woman set a steaming styrofoam cup of coffee on his table, giving him a flirtatious wink. "Brought it to your table just for you." She smiled at him.

"Thanks." He grumbled, making sure to give her one of his characteristics frowns. Catching his disinterested, if not mean-spirited, gesture, the girl's face dropped and she made her way back to her station in shame.

"He's so handsome, but what a jerk!" Sesshoumaru's superior ear caught the café employee whisper to her fellow coworker. The demon in disguise inwardly rolled his eyes in disgust. To think that such a plain Jane like her could think that she was of the same caliber as he, the great Sesshoumaru, was an insult to his never-wavering pride. He scoffed as he turned his attention to the unsweetened black coffee, taking a haphazard sip. (His pain receptors were much more resistant than a human's).

"_I don't eat human food."_ Sesshoumaru recalled he had once said to Rin once. It was a vague recollection of an impertinent memory, but the irony amused him. What would Rin think? Her awfully picky demon lord taking delight in sipping a very human beverage! Who would have guessed even the proudest of demons would one day succumb to the human diet? He smirked in a cynical manner.

"Kikyou, your order is ready!"

And at the name, Sesshoumaru almost spit out the bitter substance that sloshed around in his mouth. Almost.

"Thank you." He heard a familiar willowy voice reply.

His eyed widened further when the owner of the voice sauntered over into his line of sight, setting her cup of coffee – a chai latte, if his sense of smell was correct – as well as a thick book on the self-service countertop. Raven hair, fair skin, dark eyes, delicate facial features – if his vision was to be trusted, she was indeed one and the same. The miko Kikyou.

But how could it be?

"Kikyou" left before Sesshoumaru could fully analyze her scent, and he was left to ponder whether his aging mind was playing tricks on him. His eyesight, however, fell upon the heavy book that the obsidian-haired ghost of the miko had left so absently on the counter. Finishing his own drink, the former demon lord took the book from the counter. _Compilation of Japanese Fairytales and Folklore_, it read, and despite the musty smell of moldy pages that accompanies most old books, Sesshoumaru caught a waft of fresh lavenders. He made his way to the same barista he had previously rejected.

"That girl that just left," Sesshoumaru began, "she left this."

"Oh, I can take that. She's a regular. Always comes at the same time. I'll give it back." She replied, trying to disguise the earlier hurt as best as she could.

"No." Sesshoumaru decided, "I'll give it back myself." The girl's already dejected expression fell further.

"Way to add more salt to the wound." She mouthed. Sesshoumaru had caught it, but said nothing as he tucked the forgotten book neatly underneath his arm along with the Swedish novel he had neglected to concentrate on.

It wasn't until nightfall, when he was alone in his simply, but luxuriously decorated penthouse apartment that the demon began to inspect the hardcover book "modern Kikyou" had left behind.

Tucked into the pages was a homemade bookmark, laminated with "To Kikyou, the best sister ever," written in a childish scrawl.

"So I heard correctly… Her name is the same." Sesshoumaru spoke as he opened the book to the page the girl had left on. _The Youkai: Demonology of Japan_ was the title of the chapter. Sesshoumaru lifted an incredulous eyebrow. If the girl, the "modern Kikyou", was just a reincarnation, like Kagome, then why did she seek knowledge of so relevant a topic in her past? Was it pure coincidence? He was sure the girl wasn't the actual Kikyou. The scent she left behind was of lavenders. The Kikyou he had known, he recalled, smelled of the dead. Was it a rare occurrence of reincarnation, in which the replica recollected her past? Sesshoumaru was baffled.

He had never spoken to the woman when she had been alive – or rather, undead. All that he knew about her came from rumors whispered to his ear about his whelp of a half-brother and stories Rin had once babbled about. But he was getting older, and his memory was not as sharp as it used to be; Rin's stories of the brave priestess Kikyou had been mostly deleted from the memory bank that held eons of experiences.

That night, Sesshoumaru did not sleep.

**XX**

The next morning, Sesshoumaru rose from his bed in haste, so as not to miss the raven-haired vestige of his past. He was relieved to find the barista girl he had deemed annoying was not present. _Impudent girl, _he thought.

Methodically, the taciturn demon ordered the same drink of yesterday – the only drink his demon tongue found even remotely tasteful. He unraveled the day's newspaper and waited, feeling almost as a cat that awaits its prey.

"Hello there, Kikyou. How might I help you today?"

"Hello. Iced coffee, please." Kikyou replied, her tone polite and proper, handing the cashier the money before the price was even stated. "By any chance, would you happen to know if a book was found here yesterday?"

"A book? No, no books were in the lost and found today. I'm sorry." The boy who worked as the cashier apologized. "I hope you find it!" Kikyou did not reply, but Sesshoumaru guessed she must have smiled in return. It wasn't long before she received her beverage and took her characteristic silken strides towards the self-service counter. It was then that the demon lord made his advance.

"Excuse me." Sesshoumaru drawled, the deepness of his voice startling her and causing her to drop a full packet of sugar into the iced drink. _Funny, _he thought, he had never taken her as the clumsy type. That had always seemed more… _Kagome-ish._

"Yes?" Kikyou regained her composure, turning round to face the statuesque Sesshoumaru. The girl was not short, but she had to tilt her head upwards to examine her interrupter.

"You left this here yesterday." Sesshoumaru wasted no time in beating around the bush; he handed her the ancient volume without any further ado.

"Oh, why thank you." The fawn-eyed girl brandished him a small smile of gratitude as she tucked the book away in the recesses of her tanned-green messenger bag. From the look of her, Sesshoumaru deduced this Kikyou of the future was a college student. "You didn't have to go through so much trouble. You could have given it to the employees, sir." She tacked on the formality at the end, as if just registering the faux-man was a handful of years her senior.

"But I didn't." Sesshoumaru replied in his usual manner – dry and monotone. The young woman did not react to his tone. Whether it was because she was too relieved that her book had been returned to her or because she sincerely did not care was uncertain to Sesshoumaru; her face was as unreadable as his.

"Well, I thank you once again, sir," She added the honorific again, "But I'm running late." And with a quick little bow, the girl was off, her long tresses flowing behind her like an inky black cape. Sesshoumaru was left to stare after her in bemusement.

The rest of the day Sesshoumaru spent visualizing the priestess of the past – slayer of Inuyasha, rescuer of Rin, holy guardian of the Shikon Jewel. When he closed his eyes, he saw the undead shell of a once living woman. He saw her billowing white haori sleeves and her loose red hakama flowing in the direction of the wind; her tied hair flapping like a majestic black flag. He saw the wooden bow as long as her body held firmly in her hand; he saw her dark eyes shimmering once upon a time. But he found himself questioning such sharp details. He had only fleetingly thought of the late priestess Kikyou throughout his lifetime. In fact, until he had met her modern copy – for not even Kagome, the original reincarnation of the original Kikyou had been so perfectly replicated – he had only had a vague recollection of what she had actually looked like. The memory of people from his past was often murky, especially if he had not interacted much with them. But after speaking with the reincarnation, he could picture every mundane physical detail pertaining to the legendary woman of old.

In his sleep that night, he dreamt of memories that had until then remained buried under hundreds and hundreds of years.

"_Lord Sesshoumaru, you're back!" A child chirped as she ran, arms open as if to fly, towards an imposing white-clothed man._

"_Rin." The man greeted the child as she circled around him, arms still spread open in joy and excitement. _

"_Watch out, you little bugger!" A green little imp next to Sesshoumaru squawked as the girl sent his cap reeling back from an accidental smack of her hand. _

"_Oops, sorry!" Rin half-giggled, half-apologized, stopping her antics to give a little curtsy to her esteemed demon lord. "Lord Sesshoumaru, Rin has much to tell you!"_

"_Rin, it is 'I'. '_I_ have much to tell you,'"_ _Sesshoumaru corrected, his tone firm, but gentle – an unusual manner of speaking for the regal demon, as anybody who was an acquaintance of the lord of the west would tell you. _

"_Oh, sorry milord. Ri- I mean, I, am trying my hardest to learn!" The little girl tripped over her words. Sesshoumaru nodded in approval, causing the girl to give him a toothy smile._

"_Hi big brother!" Sesshoumaru heard his "sister-in-law", if she could be referred to that way, call out to him. He could see her off in the distance, waving at him from behind Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru scowled at the girl's familiarity, but nevertheless said nothing. _

"_Lady Kaede says Kagome will one day be just as strong as Lady Kikyou." Rin informed her caretaker. "Lady Kikyou was amazing!"_

"_I used to hear that demons lived in fear of her." Jaken contributed, "Hard to imagine her ditzy reincarnation will live up to that reputation."_

"_Lady Kaede says Kagome still has a long ways to go." Rin laughed, "She said Lady Kikyou was very wise and that she could slay hordes of demons with a single arrow! But she was also very kind. She played with the children all the time and she helped the elderly and she treated wounded soldiers and tended to the sick and all without looking for repayment! Oh, I wish I could have met her!" Rin babbled. Sesshoumaru's eyes fell upon the young Kagome carrying a basket of herbs into a hut with Inuyasha trailing behind her like an obedient puppy. He wondered what connection the highly-esteemed priestess Kikyou had with his dimwit younger brother. "I want to be like her!" Rin proclaimed with determination. _

"_Sit!" Kagome screeched and Inuyasha splatted from afar. _

_But then again, Sesshoumaru probably did not want to know what his brother's previous relationships were like._

_**XX**_

"_Oh, Sesshoumaru," A wizened Kaede addressed the demon lord that stepped through her door._

"_Rin." _

"_Lord Sesshoumaru, how nice of you to visit!" A delighted, fourteen-year-old Rin greeted, on her face the warmest of smiles. Sesshoumaru remained silent, not sure of how to handle the scene he beheld. Little Rin was not wearing the usual lavish kimonos that her generous benefactor provided her with. The young girl was wearing the traditional priestess garb – the plain white haori paired with the red hakama. _

"_Rin, what are you wearing?" Jaken was the one to speak his master's thoughts._

"_I'm sorry for not saying so earlier, my lord. But I've decided to become Lady Kaede's apprentice. I'm going to be a priestess!" The girl explained. "Are you not pleased, Lord Sesshoumaru?"_

_The truth was that he wasn't pleased. Being a priestess was a dangerous profession, one that could result in death – a death that Sesshoumaru could not save Rin from if it occurred. Tenseiga had a limit, and he did not wish to lose the girl again at a young age. Would she rather not be a normal girl and marry? He voiced this thought to the maiden, and even assured her that if she would choose that path he'd take measures to ensure the girl had a deserving suitor._

"_As of right now, lord Sesshoumaru, I want to help people. I want to be a great priestess, like Ladies Kaede, Kagome, and Kikyou." The girl declared with a maturity Sesshoumaru had not known the she possessed. "I would be a good priestess! And I would make people understand not all demons and half-demons are bad. Besides, someone needs to take over Kagome's position when she marries Inuyasha and has his children!"_

"_I suppose you've made your choice then. To stay here?"_

"_There's such a thing as a travelling priestess, you know? My sister was one." Kaede intervened. _

"_Yes, after she was dead for fifty years." Sesshoumaru retorted, but at Rin's pleading face, his scowl subsided._

**XX**

Sesshoumaru rose to the sound of a caterwauling alarm clock and groaned in displeasure. It was a rare event that it went off – he usually awoke before the damned thing could wail at him; the alarm clock was only a precaution. He guessed his late rising was mostly due to the fact his usual dreamless slumber had turned into a marathon of memories. Sesshoumaru, with a perfect scowl across his face, somehow still managed to make turning off an alarm clock an artistic endeavor.

Annoyed and in a sour mood, the demon lord of old set out about his day.

**XX**

As he had expected, Sesshoumaru did not encounter the future Kikyou at the coffee shop. To his puzzlement, that fact had further increased his bad humor, much to the dismay of his fretful, mouse-like secretary, who cowered away from her boss when she saw the nasty frown on his face upon his entering. On days when he carried such an expression on his handsome features, the secretary had noticed he liked to growl and bark impossible orders at her. She cringed.

Much to the relief of the poor secretary, Sesshoumaru left his office early. His insufferable mood had since calmed down – the visions of the dark-haired priestess and his once-upon-a-time ward that had plagued him the entire night had faded from his mind. But the world would not bear him so much mercy, for as soon as he stepped out of the building that housed his office and into the rain-soaked streets; he caught a glimpse of a bright red umbrella and sorrowful eyes gazing at him in surprised recognition. It was Kikyou. He stared back unabashedly.

She was alone, waiting at the bus stop, the umbrella at her side shining brightly against a sea of grey, her hair hanging free, soaking wet against her pale cheeks. If she had an umbrella, why was she so soaked? Without quite thinking his actions through, Sesshoumaru stepped towards her direction, ignoring the flashing hand on the streetlight that warned him time had run out to cross. Sesshouaru's eyes never left hers, even when the cacophony of honking made hers steer away from him and towards the incoming traffic. He heard her gasp.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but," The girl paused as he reached her, "are you crazy?"

Normally, Sesshoumaru would punish such gall with a mordant remark, but he found he could not give her any reprimand. Had he been crazy? At the moment he crossed the street, the black tar of the road had turned into a verdant field, the streetlights into tall trees, the skyscrapers in front of him into the wall of a menacing cliff, and he had not been in his coat and suit; no, in that moment when he had crossed, he had been Sesshoumaru-sama, esteemed demon lord of the Western Lands, not Sesshoumaru-san, business impresario, savvy investor, and capable lawyer. The dreams of the night had come back to haunt him in his waking hours.

"Are you? You're soaked." He finally admonished, pointing towards the closed umbrella held tightly in her hand, "Use it." Instead of offering a verbal explanation, the woman unfurled her umbrella to life, demonstrating that the tool had become inverted. Inexplicably, the mangled thing reminded him of Inuyasha. "That seems like it would happen to Kagome, not you."

"What?"

"Nevermind." Sesshoumaru immediately regretted his actions. He had come to her, but why? There was nothing he could say to her. She was Kikyou, but she was not Kikyou. And even then, Kikyou had never held any importance to him before – why should she now?

"You're the man from the café." She noted.

"You knew that before." Sesshoumaru pointed out, "Before I even crossed." He had seen her eyes widen in recognition when he had emerged through the doors of the office building across the street.

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

"It's Sesshoumaru." He stated, earning a bewildered expression from Kikyou, "My name."

"That's a strange name."

"As is Kikyou."

"I'm sorry, sir –"

"Sesshoumaru."

"I'm sorry, _Sesshoumaru_," Kikyou spoke his name sharply, "But who are _you_? And how is it that you know my name?"

Temporarily disarmed, Sesshoumaru didn't quite know how to reply. _I knew your past self_, was not a very feasible answer, at least not to a modern college-aged female. "The employees called out your name. I have ears." He mustered up a believable-enough answer.

"Ah, so you do." Kikyou spoke, still dubious but allayed for the moment. "I guess we're both trying to catch the same bus?" She softened her tone.

"No." He replied and silence ensued. It occurred to him that perhaps the girl thought him strange; after all, he was breaking several rules of human interaction. But he wasn't human and he had never cared for the opinions of others anyway. "I have a car," he interrupted the silence between them, "I could take you to your home." He offered. Again, he had acted on impulse and again he had immediately regretted it.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but no, thank you." She politely declined.

"Smart girl." Sesshoumaru accepted her rejection with grace, "That is usually the wiser choice."

"The way you say that; it sounds as if you had planned to hurt me. Should I be wary of you now?" She asked, a hint of wry jest lacing her willowy timbre.

"Perhaps." Sesshoumaru replied as a shadow of a smirk played on his face. As a bus neared into view, Sesshoumaru spoke again, "Join me for coffee tomorrow." He commanded, rather than asked and handed her the forgotten black umbrella in his hand. "Take it." He again ordered, and without any further words, left her, dumbstruck and confused.

That night, he again dreamed of silver-haired demons, of crimson robes worn by a bastard brother, of swords welded from fangs, of green-toad retainers, of dark-haired priestesses, of a bright red umbrella.

**XX**

**Author's Notes: **Thank you for reading! A new chapter shall be posted in the next few days. It'd be nice to receive feedback! A writer cannot evolve if he or she does not receive feedback.


	2. Dog Days are Not Over

**C. 'Shroom Says:** This is a beast of a chapter. Because I'm attempting to write something a little shorter, this is perhaps going to seem a bit fast-paced. Sorry if that bothers you.

**XX**

**Part II: The Dog Days are Not Over**

**XX**

Sesshoumaru wasn't particularly surprised when the next day, Kikyou had shown up, and without a word of permission, had sat at his table. He had heard that she had been a bold woman in the past – not like Kagome, whose brashness bordered on what Sesshoumaru considered impudence, but in a much more subtler and elegant way. The night before he had dreamt of when the priestess had saved Rin from a sure death. The woman had completely ignored his presence – had chosen to focus on that scumbag of an undead doctor, that Suikotsu, and on his ward, but she had refused to acknowledge the his presence. A bold move on her part, for her silence had meant her refusal to bow underneath any demon lord. Her indifference was her rebellion. Kikyou was queen of her own life then. It seemed to him that this new Kikyou seemed to follow that same rule.

"You go to college?" Sesshoumaru was the first one to speak, eyeing the book bag she seemed to always have with her.

"Yes. University of Tokyo. Undergraduate medical student." She elaborated. "Most seem to ask those questions." She added, explaining the extra information.

"Smart girl." He repeated, humorlessly.

"What about you, mysterious stranger?" She inquired, taking a sip of her iced coffee.

"Graduated from a foreign university a few years ago." He lied. He'd graduated from several universities, each time earning a degree from something different, if it was possible. But his university days had long passed; his appearance did not allow him to blend in well with the twenty-year-olds. He had lost count of the years it had been since he had last attended college as an undergraduate – it could have been twenty or thirty, but his mind was not as sharp as it used to be. He mostly kept up with modern advances through his readings.

"No, I mean, what do you do?" Kikyou clarified.

"I work at a law firm, as a lawyer." Sesshoumaru had been many things during his long life – a business tycoon, a professor, a civil engineer, but his most recent career choice had been a lawyer, simply because his most recent education had earned him a degree in law, and because he had never tried it before. The work was grueling, but Sesshoumaru had the luxury of having more than enough funds to take only the cases he was interested in.

"A professional liar." Kikyou said, her smile sardonic, "A very profitable career."

"I wouldn't say liar." Sesshoumaru corrected, a slight bit affronted by her accusation.

"It was a joke, mostly." She brushed it off, half-serious, half-joking, as she took another sip of her beverage. Until the girl had to trudge off to her first class, the pair had participated in light conversation. In that time, Sesshoumaru had not learned very much, for she was just as he – reserved and unwilling to release too much information too quickly. The fact had annoyed him, as he had wanted her to mention the book she had so precariously forgotten on the counter the previous day. Alas, she did not reveal too much of herself, only that she was a medical student. He saw it fitting that future Kikyou would settle for a profession that focused on healing.

Over the course of a month, the two had encountered each other almost every day at the same little coffee shop, and each time they engaged in a strange kind of rapport. And every day that he saw her, that same night, he dreamt of his past.

Sesshoumaru decided that he liked seeing her. She reminded him of his glory days – the days of conquest, of honor, of respect, of power. The days in which he killed those who did not bend to his will, killed those that dishonored him, killed those that affronted him. The days when humans and demons alike shrieked in terror and awe at the sight of him – the ethereal figure of long silver locks and toxic claws and eyes of molten gold. But those days were long gone, and the only thing keeping those proud memories clear and precise was a dark-haired, fair-skinned, brown-eyed human being named Kikyou.

And maybe, just maybe, he let himself admit, just a tiny bit, that maybe he liked her for her too.

But he liked his memories more.

"Good morning, Sesshoumaru." Her silken voice sliced through his reflection. He nodded in response as she sat down across him.

"What?" He asked, noticing her ochre irises scanning him.

"You have such a strange eye-color… for a Japanese man, I mean." She continued.

"That is because I'm only half-Japanese." He informed, "My mother was Norweigan." Perhaps Kikyou had been right, he was a professional liar. It was when he offered those types of explanations that he thanked Japan had opened its borders to foreigners.

"Do you dye your hair?" She observed, and Sesshoumaru damned himself – of course she would notice that the color of his hair was unnatural; she was a scientist and was not easily fooled. He shrugged to feign ignorance.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kikyou let out a pleasant laugh that rubbed Sesshoumaru the wrong way. She was laughing at him, he knew, and his blood boiled in offense.

"You lie. That is not your natural hair color. The texture is wrong." She asserted.

"If you want to have a conversation about the quality of hair, I suggest you speak with your female acquaintances. Also, I don't tolerate you so you can insult me." His reply caused the corners of her lips to further tilt upward in a haughty smirk. Sesshoumaru considered wrapping his hand around her neck to see if she dared laugh at him then, if only just to scare her.

"I'm sorry, I just don't understand why you would dye it to black. Black is so boring." Kikyou apologized, her usual somber stare shining in a light-hearted manner. "Is it blonde?"

"I suppose you could call it that." Sesshoumaru, for the first time in many centuries, relented, knowing it was pointless to argue with a well-versed medical student that his hair color was not indeed natural.

"Do you have a racial complex?" Kikyou asked, warranting a sour frown from her companion. She decided to let it go and instead commented, "What an interesting mix. Japanese and Norwegian…"

"My father liked to travel a lot." Sesshoumaru claimed.

"So I see." Kikyou drawled, "You're a very interesting man."

Sesshoumaru set his newspaper down to study her for a minute. "There's a… dinner event that the law firm I work at is hosting. Join me." He dropped the bomb, striking the girl across from him silent. "I'm inviting you to dinner, if you don't get it."

"I'm not _stupid,_" She returned to life, cocking her head upwards in indignation, "But there you go again. Always talking as if I _have_ to obey you. You're bossing me around, not asking me."

"Then that is a no?"

"My answer might change if you ask me nicely, Sesshoumaru." The syllables of his name on her tongue ruffled him, for some reason. "Well?"

"Well, I'd like you to join me." He refused to back down and Kikyou sighed. He'd already lost once; he refused to lose twice.

"A dinner with your colleagues? Is that wise?" Kikyou queried, "I mean, to take me as your companion."

"I do not care for what those fools think." Sesshoumaru scoffed. "Will you join me or not?"

"I suppose that's an improvement." Kikyou sighed out her words, "Alright, I'll go." What was so wrong with two adult friends going to a dinner party? _Nothing_, Kikyou answered her own question.

"Good." Sesshoumaru uttered, and before the girl took off for class, she gave him directions as to where he should pick her up. Unbeknown to her, Sesshoumaru had heard the rapid thumping of her heart, the increased gulps of saliva she took, the subtle twiddling of her thumbs. She was nervous, even though her face appeared perfectly placid, and Sesshoumaru reveled in it. It was power.

**XX**

Sesshoumaru had arrived at the apartment building Kikyou had directed him to. It was a modest building – not flashy, not luxurious, not trashy, but enough to meet the demands of day-to-day-life. She was not as privileged as he.

He checked his silver and gold-plated brand-name watch, and assessing he had arrived early enough to meet the raven-haired woman at her door, Sesshoumaru arose from his expensive car to enter the building. Against the interior's starkness, Sesshoumaru looked out of place in his custom tailored-suit. The few inhabitants who exited their apartments, mostly young college students, gaped at him in awe. The demon had a regality that set him apart from the commoners; they sensed his high status, and stared after him in wonder and admiration. He was Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands again, gracing his subjects with his presence. He walked past them with a subtle but smug grin splayed across his handsome features.

"Are you stupid?" Sesshoumaru's sharp ears caught a female's voice emanating from within the room Kikyou had mentioned was hers.

"I'm not." Sesshoumaru caught Kikyou's soft tone.

"You're telling me you don't think it's stupid to go out with some thirty-something-year-old to who-knows-where?"

"We're going to a restaurant, sister."

"That's what he's telling you! What if he's lying, hmm?" The other woman reprimanded.

"Midoriko, please. Just listen – "

"No, you listen! Have you forgotten Onigumo already? How he's made your life a living hell because you once helped him?"

"Enough!" Kikyou's voice resounded in authority, "I am not a child, and you are not my mother." She enunciated, her pitch at least an octave lower. "You're making a big deal out of nothing. This is just two adults accompanying each other to a dinner."

"You say you're not a child, but you're so naïve! Men of that age only want one thing from girls your age."

"If he'd wanted sex, I'm sure he'd already would have implied it. Just like the others."

"Not every man out there is an idiot, little sister." The woman named Midoriko warned, "Please, Kikyou, I'm worried about you."

"And I am an adult. I make my own decisions, with or without your approval." Kikyou bellowed, sounding very much like a stabdoffish queen. Kikyou was like he, in that aspect, she bent under no one's will. Before the sister could speak again, Sesshoumaru knocked on the door, having heard enough of their bickering. There was a pause, but soon Sesshoumaru heard Kikyou's footsteps heading towards the door.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru. You didn't have to come all the way up here." Kikyou semi-greeted as she opened her door, throwing a threatening glance to her older sister. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes wandered to where Kikyou had directed her smoldering stare, and surely enough, there, at what Sesshoumaru distinguished was a dining table, sat an older woman with her arms crossed over her chest. The two sisters looked strikingly similar, except the elder Midoriko wore her long raven hair parted down the middle, unlike Kikyou, who had always had a blunt fringe over her forehead. "That is my sister, Midoriko. Midoriko, this is Sesshoumaru." The woman at the table shot a glare at Sesshoumaru.

"Nice to meet you." Midoriko offered reluctantly.

"Same to you." Sesshoumaru returned the hypocrisy, if only for Kikyou's sake. "May we go now?" He whispered lowly, so only Kikyou could catch his words.

"Ah, yes, let me just grab my purse." Kikyou conceded before she went off towards what he presumed was her kitchen. While the young woman gathered her belongings and the sister glared at him, his eyes scanned Kikyou's one-room apartment. It was miniscule compared to his own lavish flat and was sparsely decorated. A suede russet couch, a wooden coffee table, a matching dining table, a painting of an autumn forest scene, a small bookcase, and a frame with a picture of what he assumed was her family. She had a small, rather outdated television perched on a black TV stand with various magazines stacked neatly underneath. She was a woman of modest means, Sesshoumaru concluded, basing it on from what he guessed was her second-hand furniture.

"Ready?"

"Yes." She nodded, stepping out through the door and shutting it. "Sorry if my sister seemed rude, she's not usually so disagreeable." She apologized as they began to walk.

"Does she live with you?" Sesshoumaru inquired.

"No. She visits often. A very strict woman, you see." Kikyou answered as they exited the building and he led her towards his car. Sesshoumaru caught the moment when her breath constrained in her throat at the sight of his posh automobile. He decided to distract her from his wealth by changing the subject.

"You look good." Sesshoumaru finally acknowledged her appearance. The thick hair that she often wore tied back in some way was set free and she had adorned her face with subtle, but enhancing, makeup. Blush to flatter her high cheekbones, a small smudge of eyeliner to widen her doll-like eyes, and a barely-there red rouge to match her attire – a tasteful red gown that complimented both her figure and her snowy skin.

Had Kikyou always been so attractive? Had her larger-than-average eyes always been so alluring, her lips so enticing, her waist so proportionally perfect? Or had Sesshoumaru's standards gone lax from hundreds of years of having to bed human women to satisfy his "baser" needs?

To better suit himself (and his pride, for Sesshoumaru liked to think he was never wrong), the demon concluded it was his standards that had changed, and not that Kikyou had always been naturally beautiful. He unconsciously licked his dry lips before the pretty human specimen before him interrupted his salacious thoughts.

"Thank you. You do too." She returned his compliment, brandishing a polite but rare smile.

As Sesshoumaru took the driver's seat, he began to curse himself for his thoughtlessness. What had he been thinking, taking a twenty-year-old to a snake pit of a dinner party with his colleagues? He hadn't wanted to go in the first place, and now he not only had to grace his foolish coworkers with his lordly presence, but he had to present them with a girl too many years his junior. He could see them and hear them already. The men's lecherous eyes on his pretty prize and their fussy wives with their critiques. He had made a huge mistake.

They rode in silence, each one too lost in their own thoughts to speak.

**XX**

"Well, would you look at that! Sesshoumaru actually came! And with a date!"

"I always thought this guy had a stick too far up his ass to actually come to these things. But look at him, looking smug because he's got the hottest date here. Wish I could steal her from him just to smite the prick."

"Do you think he's fucking her? Lucky bastard."

"How old can she be? Is she even legal?!"

"She's probably just a little slut that's sleeping with him for the money. She's way too young for him."

Sesshoumaru had been right about his coworkers: as soon as he walked into their view with Kikyou by his side, the conniving crew began to whisper to one another hateful things about him and the woman beside him. They annoyed him so much he almost lost his face. It took all the willpower within him to calm the raging bloodlust.

"Are you alright?" Kikyou queried, concerned by her companion's venomous expression.

"Perfectly fine." He managed to swallow their poison and mask his irritation.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-san, how nice of you to join us tonight. And who might your lovely date be?" A portly older man seated at the head of the table greeted and shook the demon lord's hand.

"My name is Kikyou, a friend of Sesshoumaru's. It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." Kikyou introduced herself, taking the inquiring man's hand in a respectful handshake.

"I am an old man, Kikyou, but I don't believe I've ever met a woman as pretty as you." He laughed, earning a death glare from his wife and an inward eye roll from Sesshoumaru. _Fools, _Sesshoumaru thought, _the lot of them._

The pair took their seats, Sesshoumaru sandwiched between his secretary and Kikyou, and she beside a young lawyer from his firm.

"Hey there, nice to meet you. My name's Itou Yamato." The charming man introduced himself in the typical Japanese way.

"Higurashi Kikyou. It is nice to meet you as well, Itou-san."

"Sesshoumaru's a bore. If you get tired of him, you can always come to me." The man whispered suggestively into her ear and winked at her. She frowned deeply and Sesshoumaru threw the man a glower that could kill. He'd have snapped his throat if it wouldn't land him in jail.

"I advise you to keep quiet, Yamato." Sesshoumaru warned the man next to Kikyou, "You wouldn't want it to get out about that little incident with that fifteen-year-old, would you? What's it called these days? Statutory rape?" Sesshoumaru growled menacingly under his breath.

"Sesshoumaru, please, I meant no harm." Itou beseeched the livid Sesshoumaru.

"I'm sure that child's parents wouldn't feel the same way. Or their attorney, for that matter." Kikyou stared wide-eyed at Sesshoumaru.

"No, I don't think they would." The man cleared his throat and fixed his tie nervously. From that point on, the man dared not to utter a word about Kikyou or Sesshoumaru. He hadn't even dared to insult Sesshoumaru's supposed nonexistent sexual exploits, as he was often wont to do around his posse.

The rest of the dinner passed uneventfully for Kikyou, whose human ears could not catch the negative things being said about her and him. Ignorance was bliss, Sesshoumaru thought bitterly, as he watched her smile wanly at the scumbags that had only minutes before had made lewd accusations of her. He'd wanted to kill them all.

Done with his coworkers constant quipping and ridiculous banter, he whispered to Kikyou his desire to leave. As he stood from his seat, he offered the girl his hand – an action he hadn't taken when he had entered the fancy Italian restaurant. Almost possessively, he entwined the woman's arm in his own, making sure to throw the filthy Itou a scathing glance before leaving.

"You knew, but you hadn't reported him?" Kikyou blurted out as soon as they reached his car, out of earshot. Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow in question. "You knew he slept with a minor and didn't report it?!"

"It is none of my business." Sesshoumaru sighed as he opened the door to his sleek black Mercedes.

"It is everyone's business if a child is being abused!" Kikyou charged, "You're all the same. Professional liars."

"Now, listen to me –" Sesshoumaru began, but the girl cut him off.

"I will not stand for that. It is wrong. No child deserves that!"

"Kikyou." Sesshoumaru grabbed her by the arm, "Do you not get it? It would ruin someone's life."

"Oh, his? So filth like him deserves _pity_? But that child doesn't deserve it?"

"No, you fool," Sesshoumaru practically hissed, "It would ruin _her _life." Seeing her continued seething on her delicate face beckoned him to explain further, "It was consensual. She had _agreed _to it. As repulsive as Itou is, he is a cunning bastard and he would have taken her down with him. Although his career would be ruined, her fate would have been much worse. Think of it. A fifteen-year-old girl with perfect grades, strict parents - an exemplar student in every way. What do you think would have happened to that kid?"

Kikyou remained silent, glaring at him all the while in hateful acceptance.

"I'm older and wiser than you, girl. Let me explain to you what would have happened to that child. Her parents, angry that she had dishonored them, would have thrown her out. I knew them personally, and there is no doubt in my mind. What do good grades matter when coupled with a misdemeanor of that size? She'd have had to quit school; no high school would have accepted her with that on her permanent record. A brilliant young student, ruined by one simple and stupid mistake."

"But…"

"I don't claim to be a good man, Kikyou. But I do claim to be a pragmatic man." Sesshoumaru stopped her with his words before she could yell at him more, "Even if it means I have to lie, I do what is the most practical."

"I think this is the most I've ever heard you speak." Kikyou spoke after a while, but Sesshoumaru was unsure of whether it was meant to be a joke, for her face was deadpan. "You know, for someone who seems to be so indifferent and emotionless all the time, you sure seem to have cared for what happened to that girl." She completed her thought with a knowing simper, "You have a gentle heart."

"Don't say such foolish things." Sesshoumaru admonished, his arms crossing over his chest. A gentle heart? He tried not to laugh cynically. "The one with the gentle heart is you."

"The reason you withhold that incriminating information about that colleague of yours that you obviously hate is for the sake of that child. Nothing you say can change that you keep silent for her sake."

"I did that girl a favor because her parents were my clients. Not out of some sense of kindness or compassion." Sesshoumaru retorted, not wanting the girl to think he was _soft_. Although a voice deep inside did nag at him: _is that really why you did it? _He cursed Kikyou for her uncanny ability to make him question himself and he cursed Rin for summoning a conscience into his existence so many long years ago. "The years have changed me." He commented offhandedly and inaudibly, staring right through Kikyou and into his days as a ruthless demon, when he had been nothing above an entitled cold-blooded murderer. Would she dare to speak so confidently then?

"Forgive me, then. It was unwarranted of me to make such judgments of your character." Kikyou regretted her words, her eyebrows furrowing in what he deemed was disbelief.

"Forget it. I'll take you back home." Sesshoumaru dismissed, beckoning Kikyou to sit at the passenger's seat. They again rode in silence.

When they arrived at the driveway of Kikyou's apartment building, Sesshoumaru made his way to walk her back up, but she hesitated.

"You don't have to do that." Kikyou intervened before he could make his exit out of the leather-seated car, scanning the area around them almost worriedly.

"It is the proper thing to do." Sesshoumaru assured, paying her no heed as he stepped out. She bit her lip but sighed in relent, her eyes still darting around the vicinity, as if searching for something.

"Alright, but we must make haste." Kikyou acquiesced.

"Why?"

"Well, it is late, my sister must be worried." She answered, albeit unconvincingly.

They arrived at the tenth floor, her area of residence, but before leaving her at her door, Sesshoumaru spoke, "I hope it was not all unpleasant."

"No, of course not. I enjoyed myself, despite the incident." Kikyou ensured, "As strange as it sounds, I enjoy your company."

"Strange?"

"Yes, strange." She confirmed, "You're not the most talkative man, but I do enjoy our sparse, but enlightening conversations. Even if you do come off as an emotionless jerk at times. I know there's more to you than that."

He was suddenly too engrossed by her stunning visage and her heart-shaped lips to offer a reply. He started to feel the repercussions of not taking a woman to his bed more often, as his less appropriate thoughts of the pretty Kikyou began to plague his mind. Without his permission, he felt his neck crane downwards as if to meet her lips, but just as Kikyou stared upon his countenance with a look of mixed innocence and desire, just as their hot breaths combined, just as their lips closed in on one another, Midoriko opened the door and the two abruptly shifted their positions.

"Nice to see you're back." The elder sister's voice cut into the palpable tension. Sesshoumaru cursed the woman over and over again, each time damning her more and more to hell.

"Ah, well thank you for inviting me, Sesshoumaru. It was a pleasure." Kikyou easily recovered, and he stared at her enviously.

"Yes. Of course. Goodnight." He forced his icy mask back on. It was a good thing he had eras of practice when it came to control.

As soon as Kikyou entered the apartment, the elder sister shut the door, leaving Sesshoumaru to himself.

"What were you about to do?" He heard the sharp tone of Midoriko scold as he sauntered away. He rubbed at his temples, annoyed by the woman's intrusion and annoyed at himself for allowing himself to be attracted to the twenty-year-old shade of his past.

His annoyance flared when a younger man slammed right into him.

"Watch where you're going." Sesshoumaru snarled at the incoming man.

"I saw you coming. _You_ should watch where you're going. And move when you're in the way." The younger man countered with a nasty sneer on his face, as he brushed his unruly mess of his hair out of his face. Sesshoumaru gave the man a hateful glare, but said nothing as he made his way back into the elevator of the rickety apartment complex.

**XX**

"_My, your archery has gotten a lot better, Rin. Never did I think you'd actually be useful in a battle."_ _Jaken complimented, although in his usual demeaning way. Rin had just shot through a fruit Jaken had thrown up into the air into a tree successfully. Sesshoumaru stood off to the side, watching his travelling companions as they bantered._

"_Thank you, Master Jaken. But I'm really not that good yet." Rin ignored the double-edge sword of a compliment. "I can do the spiritual arrow, but I can't seem to get the sealing arrow."_

"_There's a difference between them? I thought they were all the same." Jaken asked. _

"_The sealing arrow doesn't really kill. It just puts you into a demon into eternal sleep. However, the spell can be undone if the Miko who shot it wants it to."_

"_Inuyasha was sealed to a tree for fifty years by the same spell." Sesshoumaru broke in, catching both Rin and Jaken by surprise. Sesshoumaru usually avoided topics relating to his half-brother. _

"_Yes, by the late lady Kikyou." Rin answered. _

"_Because he was stealing the Shikon Jewel, right?" Jaken interrogated. _

"_Sort of. Lady Kikyou could have killed him with a sacred arrow, but she chose the arrow of sealing instead. Kaede said it was because she loved Inuyasha and didn't really want to kill him!"_

"_What?" Jaken squawked in surprise. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened from where he sat on a tree stump. _

"_It's a tragic love story," Rin's eyes glowed with sentiment, "The tragic priestess, Kikyou, and the hated half-demon Inuyasha. Inuyasha wanted to take the jewel, but Kikyou could never kill him because of her pity for him. And inevitably, the two fell in love! Naraku was jealous of them though! So he set a trap in which he made it seem they betrayed each other. Oh, it's so sad!" _

"_Naraku was jealous? He had feelings for the woman?" Jaken persisted with his curiosity. _

"_Kaede says it was a twisted love, but yes. Naraku wanted to become stronger so he could kill her."_

"_I see now why he thought of her as his biggest threat." Sesshoumaru jeered, "Pathetic half-demon, he was."_

**XX**

Sesshoumaru awoke disturbed by his dream. He had completely forgotten the detail that Rin had once recounted. Kikyou and Inuyasha had once been lovers, and last night, Sesshoumaru thought disgustedly, he had just been about to lock lips with her. Had he really fallen so low that he would find himself attracted to what once had attracted his brother? Sesshoumaru grimaced. He always considered his tastes to be much more refined than those of Inuyasha. _It is only because she is better-looking than most women, _Sesshoumaru tried to assure himself_, It isn't because you actually _like_ her. _

He denied ever feeling an intellectual connection with Kikyou, although he had. He negated ever seeing himself in her, even though he had. He rejected ever having wanted to see her, despite that he had.

_It is because she reminds you of your past._ But he knew it was more than because he had once dared to admit, just for a fleeting moment, he actually enjoyed her quiet company.

In an effort to clear his mind, the ruffled platinum-haired demon decided physical exercise would clear his mind. He took his usual route; from the stylish building that housed his flat to just past the local high school. He hadn't reached his final destination – the high school - when he caught a whiff of lavenders when he passed a family-owned shrine he had never once paid any attention to before. Absently, he stopped his jog to climb up the shrine steps. The scent grew stronger as he climbed, and surely enough, there was Kikyou, dressed in shrine maiden attire, sweeping the area around an ancient tree. He hid himself from her view.

She was feudal-era Kikyou again and Sesshoumaru was hit by an overwhelming wave of nostalgia.

"Kikyou, before you leave for archery practice, do you think you could help me set up the stage for tonight?" An elderly man dressed as a priest asked the young woman, peering out from the shoji door of the main shrine.

"Yes, of course. Just as soon as I finish up here."

"Yes, yes, of course, dear." The elder disappeared back into the shrine, leaving the shrine maiden alone again, but not for long, for a new figure appeared from another entrance.

"Why hello, my dearest Kikyou!" The figure greeted, a roguishly handsome man in his twenties. Sesshoumaru recognized him as the same man that had bumped into him yesterday when coming off the elevators.

"Onigumo." Kikyou acknowledged his presence far less enthusiastically.

"Not excited to see me, it seems." The man feigned hurt.

"Is it not enough for you to pester me at my home?" Kikyou complained.

"Such callousness from a shrine maiden. I wonder what your grandfather would think if he heard his pretty little granddaughter was talking back to a patron."

"You cannot be serious." Kikyou groaned at his words. "You have made a donation?"

"I'm a spiritual man." The one called Onigumo snickered as he approached the sweeping miko. "I just want the holy spirit inside of me, if you catch my drift."

"You're looking for a Christian church, then." Kikyou mocked, returning to her duties.

"No, I'm looking for a pretty little miko to fill me." He snarled as he grabbed her roughly by the chin. Sesshoumaru could not contain the deep grumbling that stirred from his throat. "One day, sweet Kikyou, your bold worlds will get you in trouble. Oh wait, they already have. What was her name again? That kid? Kaede, was it?"

"I don't want to hear her name on your filthy tongue!" Kikyou snapped, prying herself from his grasp.

"Alright, alright. But this filthy tongue, Kikyou, will one day –" But before the foul Onigumo finished, he was interrupted by the old man from before.

"Kikyou, hurry up now, child." He called from within the shrine.

"I tire of waiting for you to come around, Kikyou. I might just have to take you by force." The man whispered warningly, "But anyway, I'm looking forward to your _kagura _dance performance tonight." He winked at her, "Maybe you'll grant me a private performance one day."

Kikyou mustered the most spiteful of glares his way before she made her way back inside the main shrine. The man exited the premises, whistling as if he had just spoken of the most casual of matters with a girlfriend. Sesshoumaru fumed from his hiding spot. His manner of speaking, his attitude, reminded Sesshoumaru of someone that he couldn't quite place. He quietly exited the shrine, not wanting the miko to discover him and accuse him of stalking her.

**XX**

It was late into the evening, and Sesshoumaru found himself at the same shrine – Higurashi shrine, it turned out it was called - where he had seen Kikyou working at earlier that day. . After hearing the conversation between her and the man, Sesshoumaru had decided to loom over the shrine, just in case the man, Onigumo, planned to induce foul play He had been at the bottom of the steps of the shrine when the traditional Japanese music began, signaling the beginning of the ceremony. Against his better judgment, the demon arose the stone steps, letting the shrill cry of the shakuhachi and the staccato tones of the koto guide his feet. The shoji door was slightly cracked open to let the fresh autumn breeze air out the crowd of onlookers. On a raised dais, three miko danced, but the two on the sides might as well have not existed. The middle miko was Kikyou, and in her special ceremonial garb compromised of a modified miko uniform coupled with vibrant flower-combs, she appeared to be a goddess looking down on her human spectators. Sesshoumaru found he could not look away as she went on with the choreography of the _kagura _dance.

He found it funny how the elements of his past – the miko and the wind sorceress, Kagura – seemed to combine at that moment.

It wasn't long before his fixation on the serious Kikyou vanquished and was replaced by his disgust at the putrid scent of Onigumo. The man had not lied, he had kept his sinister promise that he would be at her performance. If Sesshoumaru would have been able to see the vile man brandishing his lustful smile at the dancing shrine maiden, he would have had to fight the urge to rip him to pieces. If Kikyou noticed his attendance, she did not manifest any displeasure. She kept her eyes blank, her mouth straight.

Taking one final glance at Kikyou's majestic dance, Sesshoumaru returned to his post, that is, down around the perimeter of the shrine grounds. His aversion the day before concerning Kikyou had faded, his scorning of himself vanquished, all because he felt compelled to make sure that the so-called demon spider, Onigumo, did not dare to lay a hand on her, as he had threatened that morning. He didn't know why, but he preferred not to know the answer.

Not much time had gone by when the music subsided and applause followed after. There was too much noise to pinpoint whose footsteps were whose, so Sesshoumaru awaited, like a predator. He detected Kikyou's sweet fragrance as well as the soft thuds of her footsteps coming from the other side of the shrine. He scowled when the reek of the man called Onigumo hovered over hers and his stealthy steps matched hers.

"You thought you could escape me? Think again!" Sesshoumaru's sensitive ears caught Onigumo's bellow, Kikyou's startled gasp, and a thud. "Now, I wasn't going to try anything, but you see, I've always loved the hunt." Sesshoumaru heard the shuffle of fabric and the thumping sound of flesh flailing against flesh and he was off to the direction of the struggling with no further qualms. Sesshoumaru guessed that the female tried to unlatch from her assaulter's grasp, but Onigumo was a beast of a man, all brawn and muscle, and no conscience. Sesshoumaru used his rarely used heightened demon speed to arrive at the scene of the impending crime in less than a few seconds. As he had surmised from her muffled rasps and shouts, Onigumo had pushed the slender woman head-first against one of the various trees surrounding the shrine, where not enough light could reach them, where human eyes were not adequate enough to distinguish between brush and human silhouttes.

"I will be the first man to kiss you. To touch you. To have you." The criminal husked against a very appalled Kikyou. His hand slipped from her swan-like neck down her torso to rest on the fly of her jeans. Sesshoumaru, for the first time since he had known the priestess, felt fear emanate from her.

As soon as it had started, it ended, for Sesshoumaru pried the villain off her backside with a grab to his neck. Free, the girl turned on her heel, gasping at the sight: Sesshoumaru held the robust attacker Onigumo off the ground by his throat.

"You bastard!" Onigumo choked, "I've got men around!" He sputtered, his fleet flailing helplessly beneath him.

"Sesshoumaru, he's not lying. We have to go!" Kikyou advised, giving him a pleading tug to the arm. "If you kill him, it will only bring you more trouble!" Sesshoumaru doubted it, but for her sake, he dropped the man to the ground. When Onigumo sprang up to attack, Sesshoumaru gave him a sufficiently strong blow to the head to knock him out momentarily. Kikyou gaped at his strength, but beckoned Sesshoumaru to leave the unconscious man with her desperate tugs to his arm. Sesshoumaru, taking action, grabbed her by the wrist and retreated. She followed him blindly, too worried of the prospect of Onigumo's men firing shots at them with their guns. To her relief, the two made their way to Sesshoumaru's vehicle and took off to Tokyo's winding streets.

"Where do I take you? To your sister?" Sesshoumaru questioned.

"No, he knows where she lives." Kikyou furrowed her brows, "Take me anywhere. Take me where you live." She declared with finality. Sesshoumaru didn't question her as he drove on. "How did you know I was going to be there?" Kikyou finally phrased the inquiry that had been at the back of her mind. After the initial shock of almost-rape, the thought returned to the front, and made its way out of her lips.

"I didn't. I was just walking by." He lied. Kikyou pursued no more of the subject as she stared in disbelief, still in a state of shock.

"Thank you." Kikyou's voice cracked as she buried her face in her hands. "If you hadn't been there, then…" She didn't finish her thought. When she reemerged from hiding behind her hands, her cold façade was on again, betraying the distressed look she had on only moments before. Sesshoumaru felt the stirrings or scalding rage within him. That scum of a man, Onigumo, had made Kikyou, the haughty paragon of control, lose face, even if only momentarily. _I should have just killed him then, consequences be damned, _he thought ruefully.

It wasn't long before Sesshoumaru arrived at his high-class apartment complex. It wasn't until he opened the door to his penthouse apartment that Kikyou demonstrated any kind of reaction to his superior living arrangements. "I knew lawyers had a high income, but not this _high._" She commented, a subtle exasperation mixed in with her words.

"They don't. Not at my age." Sesshoumaru concurred, "I own a profitable family business as well." He lied again. It hadn't been passed down to him, he had built his multi-million dollar enterprise on his own, and had managed it on his own for many, many years. After his title had become devoid of any value, the demon, reluctant to lose his power, put the wealth that his prestigious pedigree had graced him with to good use by investing it into business – a practical decision that has earned him a vast fortune. To keep suspicion from coming his way, he pulled the strings of his company from afar. Whenever it was the appropriate time, Sesshoumaru would fake a death certificate and assume a new identity – a son, a nephew, a grandchild of the man that had died. It was a tricky fraud, but over the years he had learned to perfect his con. He didn't show himself often at his company, allowing his employees to think that as the years passed by, he would wither away in old age. He usually hired a faceless employee that he only ever spoke to through the phone to handle the mundane daily affairs of managing a business.

"Profitable may be an understatement." Kikyou murmured, not expecting Sesshoumaru to catch her words. "I'm sorry for intruding. I can go back, or – "

"Nonsense. So that man can finish what he started? Are you a fool?" Sesshoumaru scoffed, "No, you stay here."

"Forgive me for the encumbrance. But I am eternally grateful to you." Kikyou bowed in sincere humility. "Really, I owe you… many things."

Sesshoumaru wasn't thanked very often – he didn't quite know how to react to her appreciative gestures. He absolved to serve her a drink instead. Seeing Sesshoumaru head towards a finely crafted liquor rack, Kikyou interjected, "Oh, no, I don't drink alcohol." Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow at her. Wasn't it popular among youngsters of her age to consume alcohol? Wasn't the typical twentieth* birthday tradition to purchase alcohol? "I mean, I've never had any." Kikyou added.

"Then this will be your first time." He ignored her rejection and poured her a drink from his crystal liquor decanter.

"Do you want me to become inebriated?" It was Kikyou's turn to quirk an eyebrow.

"Drinking alcohol doesn't necessarily mean you need to get drunk." Sesshoumaru corrected her, "I can dilute it for you if it's too strong." He offered her a glass.

"Yes, if it's not too much of a hassle. Is this the rich person equivalent of offering someone a glass of water?" Kikyou asked as Sesshoumaru disappeared off into what she assumed was his kitchen.

"I don't know," He answered as he came back with her mixed alcoholic drink, "I've never made the acquaintance of someone who wasn't rich. Tell me, is that what you offer?"

Kikyou let out a wry laugh, "You really have no tact. But to answer your question, yes, that is what I offer. A glass of water or a soda can."

"How odd." Sesshoumaru poured himself a glass of pure wine and took his first sip. "What are you waiting for? Drink." The demon watched her unwaveringly as she glanced at the cup and tentatively raised it to her lips. One sip sent her into a coughing frenzy. Sesshoumaru couldn't resist the edge of his lip to tilt slightly upwards in mock. Effortlessly he took a chug.

"How do you do that? It's so strong…"

"A matter of habit, I suppose." Sesshoumaru responded, _and a superior demon resistance to liquor_, he added inwardly. The pair got quiet for a moment before Sesshoumaru decided to breach the forgotten subject, "Who was that man?"

Kikyou sighed as her heart rate thumped in protest, "That was Onigumo." She began levelly, "My very own stalker. I met him once, coming out of the hospital – I volunteer at the hospital, by the way. It was late and I was foolish. I saw a man leaning against the wall, doubled over in pain. Dumbly, I rushed to his side, and saw his wound – a festering burn that ran from his upper arm to part of his torso. His shirt was in rags."

"You helped him?"

"Yes, I did. I tried to pull him to the hospital, but he refused. Telling me the Yakuza was looking for him and that they would find him if I took him there. Swearing he was an innocent victim of their violence, I ushered him to my home, where I treated his burns." Kikyou continued, "Yes, I know it was a bad idea, but back then I was different. I was naïve, gullible, idealistic. Little did I know that fostering that man was the worst mistake of my life.

"He started making remarks. He would whisper lewd things about me to my younger sister, who happened to pay me an unexpected visit one day after her school. When he was well enough to leave, he left, but from then on, I saw him everywhere I went: school, the hospital, my apartment building. When I confronted him about it, he threatened me. I didn't believe him. I regretted it."

"What did he do?"

Kikyou winced at the question, but continued her tale nonetheless, "My little sister Kaede and I were assaulted by Yakuza thugs one night. They held me down as they held a knife to her throat," She gulped down, "I angered the leader of the thugs, and Kaede paid for it with her eye. They took the knife and…"

"Enough." Sesshoumaru halted the woman who was quickly losing her icy resolve, "I've heard enough."

"My sister paid for my mistakes," Kikyou ignored Sesshoumaru, "He knows your face now. I've dragged you into his web!"

"And I am the man who shall crush this spider." Sesshoumaru assured.

"You don't think I haven't tried?"

"I believe you have. But you're just a girl, barely a woman."

"And you just a man, with the arrogance of a boy." Kikyou countered heatedly. "You must leave me."

"It's too late now." Sesshoumaru replied as he took another chug of his champagne. "I should have done that a long time ago. Not because I'm afraid of some lowly criminal."

"Then why?" She inched closer.

Sesshoumaru did not let voice his answer – he couldn't bring himself too. It was weakness, it was madness to be fascinated by the same woman whom his brother had been entranced by. It was beneath him – it was outrageous, it was irrational, it was wrong.

His mind blanked when she closed the space between them and brushed her lips against his. When he felt her try to pull away, his hand on the small of her back brought her in return. She had instigated. He had deepened.

When he finally let her go, she voiced a soft "I'm sorry" against his broad shoulder, "I shouldn't have done that."

His hands trailed up from her waist, wanting to explore the woman's comely figure, wanting to caress her until her pure pale flesh was tainted with sinful red. He suppressed a feral growl. "We shouldn't…" Kikyou weakly attempted to push against him.

It was so wrong, but it _felt so right_.

"You do not want me to leave. Or to stop." He stated, fortifying his grasp on her, sensing her waning strength as he knees buckled below her.

"..No."

"You really shouldn't have said that." Sesshoumaru rumbled into her ear, both of their desires rising further.

"Why?" Kikyou stared up at him with inquisitive eyes.

Sesshoumaru's reply was a smoldering liplock, "Because now I can't stop," he managed to susurrate between breaks from their intimate exchange of lips, "I am a man, you know." Sesshoumaru once again cursed the negligence of his baser desires. He felt his restrained lust come to life as her young, inexperienced body pressed flush against him urgently. He pulled away from her abruptly, and Kikyou sighed at the loss of contact. Sesshoumaru almost growled at the sight of her. Her black hair was tousled from when he had sunk his fingers into its long mass, her cheeks and her nose were stained with a ruddy red from the passion, her earnest chocolate browns lit up with fire. It took all of his thousand years of forced control not to take her right there and then, against his wine rack. "If we don't stop this now, I don't think –"

Kikyou silenced him with a brazen kiss.

She stood on her tiptoes to touch her lips to his ear, "On second thought, I don't want to stop." She breathed into his earlobe.

"I warned you." Sesshoumaru gnarled lowly, trying to suppress the very canine-like urges welling within him.

**XX**

**C. Mushroom Says: **This was THE hardest part to sit down and write - no lies. Thanks to, you know, character development and the like. This chapter has gone through so many edits, so many drastic changes. UGH. I hope the end result was okay. I put all of my willpower into it. MY GOODNESS.  
Again, sorry for the beast of a chapter, but I felt like it was the only place where it could have ended. I'm a teensy bit sorry for the cliffhanger, but I'm really not. HE HE HE. I'll be back with the next chapter soon!

Thank you for the Reviews, all! You all brighten my day! :) Don't forget to leave me some feedback, so that I may continue to evolve as a writer.


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